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EDITORIAL

Editorial comment from Matthew SteeplesOur editor tells it like it is and he rarely minces his words

Knightsbridge’s playboy racers

A review of Channel 4’s Millionaire Playboy Races by Matthew Steeples

I watched last night’s Millionaire Playboy Racers expecting to find myself in agreement with Knightsbridge residents complaining about the noise generated by Arabs and their supercars. In many instances I would have previously agreed that they are bloody pests but surprisingly, by the end of the 45-minute Channel 4 documentary, I was left with feelings quite to the contrary.

My followers on Facebook often comment on the snaps I take of the supercars that come to London from Dubai, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Some are impressive and amazing. Others are vulgarity personified. A few are shown below.

Millionaire Playboy Racers was commissioned, like most television these days, to provoke. It failed. The whingeing residents of The Royal Borough complaining about the cars, one of whom was bizarrely named “Panda” Morgan-Thomas, came across as spoilt and obnoxious whilst it was a Kuwaiti named Abdul Aziz Al Rashed who came across best.

Panda Morgan-Thomas and her daughter in Sloane Street

Abdul Aziz Al Rashed in one of his supercars

This sensible young man expressed his views clearly. He understood the situation and though the British police treated him unfairly at one point, he remained reasonable. As the show ended he stated:

“I be very serious with you… At 12am I stop using this car as many people are sleeping… My friends are very sad to go back to Kuwait… I feel very sad to leave this nice place to go back to my desert… Give us London and we give you Kuwait.”

Morgan-Thomas, her daughter and their friends on the other hand came across as weird busybodies. These resentful, hectoring pests showed the people of this wealthy enclave in their worst light. As an example, Ms Morgan-Thomas showed the cameras a tree made out of roses that she had dried in her flat that she was building up towards her ceiling. She stated that when the top was reached she might marry her partner. Who on earth would do such a bizarre thing? The woman is plainly a loon.

Justin Downes, another of their number, did not help the cause of the anti-supercar crusaders with comments like:

“[They’ve created] a kingdom of Qatar in the middle of London… Idiots… I’ve seen the area move from being a very quiet residential area to being cosmopolitan in a way that is extreme… These Gulfies come in and use the area to drive recklessly. If they were UK citizens they’d be prosecuted… I am angry.”

Here were people who came across as racists and bigots. They damaged their cause and of the residents the only one I felt sorry for was an elderly lady who lived in a basement studio near Harrods. This poor woman came was indeed being disturbed late at night and if more like her had been interviewed then an entirely different perspective would have been presented. Instead, Channel 4, to satisfy their viewers, allowed a woman who lived in one of London’s main shopping streets to make residents come across as a bunch of utter weirdos and freaks.

I am still of the opinion that many of these Arab drivers are reckless and vulgar but having watched this programme, the ridiculousness of the “Knightsbridge girl” Panda and her chums has now truly been exposed. In fact, I’d rather it be her who is kept off the streets of SW1.

My goodness. You are on another planet Peter. I own a shop in Walton Street and I love my Arabic customers (and event their cars). They spend money galore and without them, I would not be able to afford my very expensive rent.

What is the attitude all about? What is your beef, Peter Dames? Want to talk about it? Be nice, life is very short. Lets all get on, and get working, and put the Great back into Britain. Be an old sport.

I recommend that you write a letter of complaint to your Member of Parliment, local Council and local Police. However, it is not fair to hold Matthew Steeples responsible for the nuisance you are experiencing with rich playboy racers. I have empathy with you.

The Statutory laws regarding the use of the Road, (Road Traffic General Bye Laws 1964) not being enforced by the Police. Violation of Health and Safety Laws. This is beggars belief. This is serious matters. Who is your member of parliment?

Why don’t you all “shut the front door” and get on with your lives. If the law has been broken then let ‘plod’ sort it out. In the meantime one should be aware that once America becomes self-sufficient in oil (fraking etc), then the incomes of our semitic guests might tumble and so their visitations become less frequent so……………..beware what you wish for!!

The high decibel, stacatto noise of high-revving motorcar engines is startling and irritating. I, too, live in Knightsbridge and find the boy-racers a real nuisance (also with their seeming colour-blindness when it comes to the strange paint jobs on their vehicles) . The speed some of the cars driven in narrow streets like Walton Street is unquestionably dangerous to other drivers and pedestrians alike.

Though not a ‘petrol head’. The only plus for me is that I get to see some extraordinary vehicles like Bugattis, Maybachs etc ‘in the flesh’.

Where I part from Mr Dames is the the manner and tone of his postings here.

Rather than criticise the content of the review, he has launched into an extreme, vitriolic, personal attack on Matthew Steeples. It almost seems he has a vendetta against him.

Such nastiness is uncalled for.

To then launch into peurile snarling at Chaim Paddaman’s “silly name” and the supposed nature of Jackie D’s shop demeans you, Mr Dames.

You are an articulate man. Far better you direct your ire at the ineffectual local police and local authority.

What a load of trash Peter Dames (surely a fake) talks. He may not be connected to Pandy but he lives in the land of fantasy. Yes, I agree some of these cars (as does Steeples) are noisy and upset residents but this is a matter the police deal with appropriately. There is no need for these residents to go around calling people “Gulfies” etc and they just look like fools for doing such. As for attacking Steeples in person, Dames (could his real name be Mowbray Jackson???) ought to grow up. Matthew Steeples was never a wine merchant and he certainly never sold anything to Catherine Meyer (a woman who likes a freebie from Ralph Lauren more than anything else). I know all about that saga and Lady M is the one who got more free lunches out of Steeples than you’d possibly imagine (cooked by a great chef, in restaurants, etc).

Peter would have my support if he didn’t write such poison about Matthew. I don’t like these cars and am a resident but Matthew makes a case for and against. I very much hope the police will do something to stop these vehicles racing around OUR streets but equally I have many wonderful Arabic friends. Panda Morgan Thomas is not someone who should speak on behalf of anyone as she showed herself as a madwoman in that programme.

Well why do you live in such a terrible area, if my area went down hill and had chavs racing around i would simply move to a nice area..To remain and deny change in the environment is small minded.. Peter you are an idiot with a dictionary and nothing more.

Wake up and live in a better area of the world son!!! my advice is not Monaco if you are a car hater..

“I think that cars today are almost the exact equivalent of the great Gothic cathedrals; I mean the supreme creation of an era, conceived with passion by unknown artists, and consumed in image if not in usage by a whole population which appropriates them as a purely magical object.”I hope that will solve the problem without the noise!!

I’d just like to say that I am in the process of gathering a few others that took part in this documentary to launch a complaint against Channel 4. The famous scene in which the young Kuwaiti says “May God silence it” referring to the Big Ben, was a ridiculously incorrect translation and was highly irresponsible of Channel 4 to present this inaccurate translation. The chap asked “what’s that” to which his friend replied “it’s the sound of the Big Ben” the young guy driving responded “I didn’t know it makes a sound”. The words “May God silence it” sound nothing even close to what he actually said in Arabic to even give them the benefit of the doubt and assume it was a genuine mistake. I’m sick of this perpetual anti-Arab and anti-Muslim garbage on the media.

I agree….and this interference, for example, into how the Saudi implement justice is outrageous. OK so crucifying thieves may seem a bit barbaric but stoning adulterous woman sure keeps them tied to the home! Call me old fashioned but a little more summary justice can’r be a bad thing. Well done for Sharia law…it saves having teams of expensive lawyers

I agree: these ‘moaning minnies’ make me sick. I saw this old lady complaining just because one of the young chaps had nearly knocked her down on a zebra crossing. I had a good larf as she jumped out of the way of his Lambo as he barrelled off down the road. He was having a bit of harmless fun and a good larf with his mates. The funny bit was the way she tried to take his number, which of course she couldn’t as it was all Arabic! About time the bloody Brits realised that they don’t own London any more.